1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a liquor bottle pourer having an illumination means that acts as a visual counter for measuring a predefined quantity of liquid poured from an attached bottle.
Making mixed drinks, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, requires careful measurement of each ingredient to ensure the proper mixture is created and one ingredient does not overpower another. This makes pouring the correct amount of a particular fluid extremely important for proper drink mixing, cooking, baking, and other activities. The implications of improper measurement include unbalanced food and drink items, and cost considerations of over-dispensed quantities of a particular item.
It is therefore important to be precise when pouring. In the field of alcoholic beverages, the careful server (including professional bartenders and at-home party hosts) may utilize a measuring device to ensure an appropriate amount of liquor or mix has been poured. However, for those who need to work quickly, finding and using a measuring device can waste unnecessary time.
Several systems and techniques exist for measuring dispensed alcohol, including the use of pour spout limiters and the employment of a secondary shot glass as a measuring container. These methods are time consuming to utilize and both are somewhat impractical for home use. Without a clear way to measure, however, a liquid ingredient can easily be over-poured, making a drink or food product too strong or too diluted for the user, and further exposing the business owner to wasted product. A need therefore exists for a simple and effective means of measuring a quantity of dispensed liquid from a larger container or bottle, wherein the device does not interfere with the free pouring of liquid while providing the pourer and indication of the quantity of poured fluid therefrom.
The present invention overcomes the problems inherent in liquid dispensers, wherein a pour spout is provided having a periodically timed light pulse that is continuously triggered on a loop. Each pulse of the light source indicates a given quantity of fluid dispensed through the spout, providing a visual counter for measuring purposes. The device can be used to alert the server that the correct amount of liquor has been poured, helping prevent waste and ensuring an accurate serving. For bartenders, the present invention can save time and money by eliminating the need for extraneous measuring devices and preventing over-pouring.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to fluid dispensers. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to liquor bottle pourers that attach to a conventional liquor bottle. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Specifically, Buker, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0272147 discloses a lighted bottle pourer having a standard shaped and sized top spout and lower stopper base. The bottle pourer is inserted into the top of a liquor bottle. Inside the top spout is a circuit board having two small liquid activated leads that stick out into the central pouring tube. The circuit board containing the electronics also has two LEDs that protrude through a reflective ring and a power supply of batteries. When liquid is poured from the bottle, through the spout and out of the top, the liquid activated leads cause the electrical circuit to be energized and light up the LEDs. When the bartender is finished pouring out the liquor, the leads return the electronic circuit to the open position and the LEDs are shut off. While the Buker device discloses a liquor bottle pourer with a light source that illuminates when inverted, the illumination is for ornamental purposes only. The present invention utilizes a flow meter or timer for detecting the quantity of liquor flowing through the pourer, which causes the device to flash or blink in order to notify the user that a predefined quantity of liquid has been dispensed.
Additionally, Escobar, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0283882 discloses a liquid pourer for a container of liquid that includes a circuit actuable in response to inversion of the bottle during pouring to activate one or more LEDs that illuminate the liquid in the container. The light sources are actuated as liquid is being poured from the pourer to illuminate the liquid in the bottle and/or in the outflow. The result is an eye-appealing illumination display that is enhanced by the movement in the liquid. Similar to Buker, the Escobar device is designed for ornamental purposes, and does not utilize a means of detecting the quantity of liquor being dispensed through the bottle pourer. The present invention can be programmed to flash at a predefined interval, such as one flash per quarter ounce of liquor dispensed.
Peckels, U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,046 discloses methods of pouring liquids from bottles, including the steps of providing a pouring head with at least two functionally different modes of pouring, such as electronically timed pouring with automatic shut-off, and free pouring either with or without an annunciator signal, with the annunciator signal preferably being a blinking light. While the '046 device discloses a pouring device that activates a blinking light to notify a user that a quantity of a fluid has been poured, the structure of the device is considerably different than the present invention. The '046 device utilizes a magnetic valve member for pouring, which can include an electronic shut-off, or can blink when pouring is complete. The present invention discloses a conventional liquor bottle pourer that is initiated when inverted, and is designed to blink at a continuous, predefined interval until returned to an upright condition.
Finally, Zell, U.S. Pat. No. 7,407,301 discloses an apparatus for illuminating wine or other liquids, whereby the user can limit the amount of sediment that is allowed to escape from the bottle. The apparatus comprises a collar, an arm, a body, a light source, and a switch. The collar can be hingedly attached to the arm with a spring-loaded hinge. The collar can have a hole large enough to accommodate the neck of a wine or other bottle. The body can be attached to the arm via a retaining member, such that the body is freely positionable along the arm. The light source can be fixedly attached to the body, or hingedly attached thereto. This device provides an illuminating apparatus that is used when decanting a liquid to ensure that sediments suspended therein are retained in the bottle and do not flow into the decanter used to prepare the wine for consumption. The present invention discloses a liquor bottle pourer containing a light source used for measuring the quantity of liquid passing therethrough based on a timed LED pulse.
The devices disclosed in the prior art provide illuminated apparatuses for use when pouring a fluid from a bottle. These devices are generally used for ornamental or decorative purposes. The devices known and disclosed in the prior art, however, do not utilize a counter means that is activated by a gravity switch. The present invention discloses a liquor bottle pourer containing a timer that can be utilized to measure the quantity of liquid being dispensed. Once the defined quantity has been reached, the device pulses the light source to notify the user. If the bottle continues to be inverted, the light source will be pulsed again after a subsequent time interval has passed, wherein the cycle is continuous until the bottle is no longer inverted. A user can count the number of flashes or blinks as he or she pours, which in turn provides notification as to the number of ounces of liquor poured.
In light of the prior art and the disclosed elements of the present invention, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art. Consequently, it is clear that that present invention is not described by the art and that a need exists for an illuminated liquor bottle pourer. In this regard, the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.